Mantra Parramatta

We paid $300 a night and this was one of the worst hotels I’ve stayed in. The room aircon didn’t work, and the room looked patched up with silicone. I asked for a porta cot at check-in and was told it would be in the room, but it wasn’t there. When I asked again, they said housekeeping had gone home at 1pm. So where was my 7-month-old meant to sleep? We had to get a fan just to cool the bedroom enough for the baby to settle. The spa was scorching and burned my wife’s legs. There were no pool towels, missing tiles everywhere, and the pool ladders were loose. With the doors open to get some breeze, all the traffic and train noise came in. The elevator had lots of broken buttons too. The reception staff member was rude at first, though she did help where she could. I want my money back. The stay was completely unenjoyable. Pathetic, really. So much for a relaxing holiday.

The $50 discount on the $150 parking bill was the only compensation, despite my bringing all the problems to reception. I paid a little over $1700 for the week and was very disappointed. The room was large and had the basics, and when we asked for things like clean towels, they arrived quickly. But nobody clearly explained how room servicing worked. The restaurant and bar stayed closed for “holiday hours” for my entire stay, which wasn’t mentioned on the website. The only option was buffet breakfast, ending at 10am. The sofa bed in our advertised and reserved one-bedroom apartment didn’t work at all. The pool was ice cold despite the heat. In the apartment, the dishwasher didn’t work and the dryer wouldn’t dry our clothes. The bathtub was cracked across the middle and bubbled when we showered. The soap and hair dispensers held watered-down product that was no use, the laundry door was broken, and tiles were missing on the balcony. There was water damage throughout the apartment, especially in the bathroom.

The location is a real plus: close to the train station, main bus stop and plenty of restaurants. My room was decent and comfortable, and one of the Asian receptionists was lovely and genuinely friendly. Still, I wouldn’t return, and the stay left a sour taste. The hall carpet on my floor had visible stains and an unpleasant smell, and the common areas need attention. As an ALL Accor Gold member, I’d asked for early check-in but couldn’t get in even a minute before 2pm. I’ve regularly had early access at other Accor hotels. I was fine with the room I booked and didn’t expect an upgrade, but nobody acknowledged my membership benefits. When I asked reception things, they didn’t seem to check my room details or membership, and the service felt verbal and transactional instead of personal. The restaurant charge was the most frustrating part. They billed me $46 when the invoice amount was $32. I was told it would be fixed the next day and someone would call, but nobody did during my three-night stay. At checkout I couldn’t get even a small extension beyond 10am because they said the hotel was fully sold out. Even as a non-member, I’m often allowed until 11am elsewhere, so this felt dismissive. Others may have a better experience.

The room was average and the hotel generally felt kind of grotty. On arrival, I had to pay a $200 bond on top of the room charge and parking for one night. Maybe it was in the booking fine print, but I’ve never had to pay an extra $200 upfront at check-in before. I’ve only ever had to provide a credit card.